Glassboro Board of Education to discuss $26.9M referendum at community meeting

GLASSBORO — The district’s Board of Education will hold a community meeting on Tuesday, March 4, at Glassboro High School to discuss an upcoming $26.9 million referendum question to fund a number of school improvement and renovation projects.

The board unanimously approved a resolution on Feb. 19 to hold a special election to pose the funding question to voters on March 11.

March 4’s meeting will allow Glassboro residents to ask questions and discuss the referendum with board members as they present the various improvement projects that would be funded by the referendum if it’s passed.

Of the $26.9 million, 48.75 percent would be funded by state debt-service aid if the referendum is passed, officials said. That percentage does not take into account $986,000 worth of school facility construction elements which do not qualify for state aid.

Of the total, $15 million, would go toward funding various renovations at the high school, including the creation of a new “black box” theater outfitted with new lighting and sound, as well as toward improvements to the playing fields of various sports programs.

If the referendum is approved by voters, taxpayers would pay an average of approximately $160 more a year in taxes, based on Glassboro’s 2014 average assessed home value of $187,567.

The community meeting will be held at the Glassboro High School auditorium at 7 p.m.